I read with interest the piece that Alan wrote this week on CityWest and usage-based billing, a story I’ve been following intently since we first started covering it in the pages of the Prince Rupert Northern View.
Now I’m not a gamer or a heavy downloader or someone who streams movies online, but I enjoy the prospect of being able to surf the web as I see fit without having to worry about additional charges based on my activities. If I were a gamer, either on computer or through online console services like Xbox Live or the Playstation Network, those concerns would certainly be heightened - thinking about whether or not it’s costing me extra to explore the online RPGs or take out those pesky players in online shooters. It’s something that we, particularly my generation and the generations behind us, have come to expect - that the Internet is something there for everyone and something that we can view and utilize without restrictions on how much we see or download or do (within the law of course).
But as someone who is, I guess, a casual Internet user, I see CityWest’s point as well.
Who among us can say we haven’t noticed a decline in the speed of our connection or the quickness of page loads after people get home from work and hit the world wide web? Well, that slowdown has to do with bandwidth and how much is being used. And those users who download the large files and compete with people online are chewing up a big chunk of that bandwidth. I’m not saying that in a negative way, that’s just how it is.
CityWest also has to look at this from a business perspective, and we in the community should be aware that if CityWest isn’t acting to create a sustainable business that dozens of jobs are on the line. The Internet is a resource and a tool, but like anything it has to be worthwhile to the people who offer it. Like any business, if you’re losing money doing it then it may be time to re-examine how you operate.
I was glad to hear that casual users wouldn’t see much of a difference on their bill and light users may see a decline. Charging heavy users more seems to be the way things are going, as demonstrated by the recent hotel sewer debate.
But that’s my two cents, as a casual user of the Internet. I encourage everyone to let CityWest know your thoughts as this discussion continues to evolve.